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Asharq Al-Awsat
Asharq Al-Awsat
Sport
Asharq Al-Awsat

Whatever the Ending, Qatar World Cup Duly Delivered

Lionel Messi World Cup Qatar Diego Maradona Cristiano Ronaldo France Argentina Gianni Infantino Kylian Mbappe Salem Aldawsari
Saudi Arabia's Salem Al-Dawsari celebrates in acrobatic fashion after scoring the winning goal in the Group C match against Argentina, at the Lusail Stadium in Lusail. (AP)

A World Cup that has defied all expectations reaches its climax on Sunday when Lionel Messi could join Diego Maradona in Argentine immortality by taking the south Americans to the title or France could become the first nation to retain it since 1962. 

Both scenarios would be an appropriate final act to the first World Cup staged in an Arab country. 

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